Heroes For Hire: The White Tiger
by capyle
Summary: The next installment of the Heroes For Hire "movie series". After the events of "Luke Cage Returns", Cage has gone on a dark quest for revenge and Danny Rand tries to pull him back from the brink. Meanwhile, a mysterious cult leader has targeted a young woman named Ava Ayala who has recently acquired the mystical White Tiger Amulet.
1. Chapter 1

**New York, 1978**

It's night. A middle-aged man works the register at a small liquor store while an Earth Wind And Fire song plays on the radio. Or at least he would be working the register if he had any customers. At this time of night, customers are sparse, so he reads the paper instead. The bell above the doorway rings as it opens and gets the hiss attention. Four young men enter the store; they wear matching red leather jackets without shirts. One carries a baseball bat on his shoulder while another wraps a chain around his fist. The fourth one hangs back and watches the door while the leader steps up to the counter.

"What can I do for you fellas?," the middle-aged man asks nervously.

"Give us the cash in the drawer," the leader commands.

"Okay, I don't want no trouble," the old man opens the register to reveal a small amount of cash.

The leader grabs a handful of it and shoves it into his jacket, "This all you got?"

"It's all I got. I swear."

The leader pulls the middle-aged man over the counter by his collar, "We'd hate it if we came all this way to find out you was holding out on us, man," he flicks open a switch blade, letting the older man get a good look at the blade close up.

"Hey man, I'm telling you, that's all I got. Take some booze too if you want."

"Good idea," one of the gang members grabs a nearby bottle.

The leader leaves with his men but stops at the doorway, "We might be passing through again some day. Try to have a little more for us next time." They laugh and leave the store; they make it outside and halfway across the street before they spot three figures on the other side. They are Bob Diamond, Abe Brown, and Lin Sun: Bob is a Caucasian man, Abe Brown is African American, and Lin Sun is Chinese. They are all well-built, in their late 20's, and wear plain clothes except for the talismans around their necks. They each wear a gold chain and at the ends, there are white, hexagonal shapes that seem interlinking. They stand together and their talismans seem to shimmer in the darkness briefly. "The hell you want?," the gang leader snaps as he flicks his switch blade at them.

"We want you to give that man back his money and walk away," Bob Diamond tells him.

"Get bent, man!"

"It was worth a shot," Abe tells him.

"Don't know why we bother sometimes," Lin Sun laments.

The three men run across the street at the gang members who all brandish their weapons in preparation. The leader tries to slash Lin Sun but he ducks back, grabs his wrist, and breaks his arm at the elbow before taking him out with a backfist. The gang member with the baseball bat takes a swing at Abe, but Abe ducks, gives him a jab to the ribs, then kicks him in the chin. The third member swings his chain around, only for Bob to catch it, allowing the chain to wrap around his fist. He pulls the gang member in and takes him out with a palm-thust and a judo toss over his shoulder. The fourth member reaches into the back of his pants and produces a snub-nosed magnum. Spotting the gun, Abe picks up the discarded baseball bat below him and throws it, knocking the gun from the gang member's hand before he can fire, then Lin Sun leaps in with a flying kick that sends him into the garbage cans on the curb. Bob removes the money from the leader's jacket and hands it to the store owner, "I think this belongs to you."

"I heard of you boys," the store owner says, "The Sons of the Tiger."

"That's us," Abe assures him, "Any more gang-bangers give you trouble, you let them know we're patrolling this area now."

"I'll do just that."

"Have a good night," Lin Sun says as they walk away.

The three men later gather in a dark dojo that has been closed for the day. They come in, one after the other, and take off their chains, laying the talismans on a table. With the three of them laid out, it is now more obvious that the pieces fit together to form a single shape: the head of a tiger with two holes for the eyes, sharp ears, and a pointed jaw line with stripes running up the sides of its face. Despite forming this shape, the pieces are not touching. The three men look at one another silently.

"Master Kee said they weren't supposed to touch," Lin Sun reminds them.

"I know," Bob says, "I can't help but wonder what they do. We've had them for so long."

"Bob, I agree with Lin Sun," Abe tells him, "We were told not to let them touch."

"But they give us so much power, Abe. Tell me you were never curious to know what happens when you combine them."

"Yeah, I've been curious," he admits reluctantly, "But the White Tiger is off limits. We know this."

"I have to admit, I've been curious too," Lin Sun tells them.

"Can it really be that bad? Maybe it's just superstition," Bob tells them.

"We form the White Tiger... Just this once," Lin Sun states finally.

"Just for a second," Bob adds.

"What the hell," Abe pushes his piece forward.

The three watch as his piece connects with Bob's, releasing a shimmer of silver light along the edges, apparently fusing them together. Bob and Lin Sun look at one another and push theirs together as well. All three pieces touch and the shimmer of light runs between the cracks, sealing them together and once the tiger's face is fully formed, there's a bright flash of light that runs along the surface and shines across their faces. When the light dies down, the amulet remains, waiting for someone to put it on.

"Okay," Abe turns to the other two, "Who's gonna be the first to wear this?"

**Heroes For Hire: The White Tiger**


	2. Chapter 2

**Modern Day...**

It's night-time at a lone dock in New Jersey. No one is present except for a lonely security guard sitting in his station at the front gate. He leans back in his chair with his feet propped up and his hat tilted over his eyes as he snores. His radio plays even though he is not awake to hear it, "In local news, there are reports that Luke Cage has reportedly gone after criminal organizations without commissions..." A truck with a trailer approaches the station and comes to a stop before honking its horn, so the security guard awakens and gets to his feet. Soon, the gate is open and the truck begins to pull through. As it passes the guard, it stops again and a single hand reaches out. The guard shakes the hand and quickly palms some cash into his jacket pocket. The truck continues on its way and the guard turns to light a cigarette. He inhales, savoring it for a few seconds before taking another drag. The truck drives along the pier and the guard turns away, drops the cigarette at his feet, and stomps it out. As he goes back to his station, he gasps he realizes the existence of the tall figure in front of him. The figure whispers angrily, "How much did they pay you?". The guard backs away and raises his palms defensively, "I-I-I don't know nothing." A black glove snatches him by the collar and casually lifts him off the ground while the other hand reaches into his jacket and pulls out the wad of cash. "Fifty dollars? Seriously?," the figure whispers and drops the guard who takes the opportunity to leave the area as quickly as possible. The figure passes through the open gate.

The truck backs up toward the edge of the dock and three men step out of the cab, one of which, has a thick mustache. The moustached man looks out over the water as his two men open the back of the trailer. In the distance, an approaching speedboat is seen. "They're almost here, get ready," he tells them and the men lower a metal ramp from the trailer to the dock. Another rushes off to a nearby forklift while the mysterious figure watches from a dark corner. Inside the truck's trailer are stacks of storage crates. The forklift enters the trailer, lifts the crates, and begins to pull them out as the speedboat gets closer. Just then, large piece of machinery flies through the air and lands through the windshield of the truck's cab, smashing the inside. "What the hell?," the mustached man shouts and races to the front of the car along with his partner while the man in the forklift backs it out of the trailer. "What's going on up there?," he asks as he tries to see. He gets no response from the others as they survey the damage to the truck silently, so he begins to back the forklift off the ramp with the storage crates in tow. Once he reaches the ground, the back wheels are held in place and begin spinning against the pavement. The driver curiously steps on the pedal but it doesn't move any farther. Two black gloves hold the back of the forklift, keeping it in place and as the tires burn, the driver turns and realizes that something has stopped it. He turns and sees the shadowy figure and before he can fully react, the figure places both hands on the side of the forklift and begins tilting it on its side. The driver realizes what is about to happen and jumps off just as the forklift is overturned, spilling the crates on the dock. The men in the speedboat quickly turn around and leave the area. Once the moustached man and his partner race to the back of the truck, the third man is already fleeing the scene. Luke Cage turns away from the forklift wreckage, wearing a black jacket and gloves.

"Ah crap, it's Luke Cage," the moustached man croaks.

The second man pulls a crowbar from the back of the truck, "I got `im," and charges.

Luke Cage casually catches the crowbar mid-swing, "You got jack."

He yanks the man into the air and off the dock where he flails and screams before hitting the water, where he soon emerges and begins treading off to the side. The moustached man holds his hands out defensively, "Okay, I don't want any problems." Cage pulls him around the side of the trailer and pins him with one hand. "I'll come along quietly," the moustached man shrieks.

"I only want answers," Cage tells him.

"I'll tell you whatever you wanna know."

"Who do you work for?"

"I-I'm running my own business."

Cage slams his fist against the trailer, punching a hole straight through it, "What's your connection to the Maggia?"

"The... The what?"

Cage punches another hole through the trailer on the other side of his head, "I got it on good authority there's an entire ring being run up and down the East Coast."

"Yeah, I'm just a part of it. I sell the stuff to some guys in Long Beach, they put it on a boat, and I don't see it again!"

"What stuff?"

"Y'know... the bootlegs."

Cage drags the moustached man back around to the busted storage containers and overturned forklift. There, he gets a good look at the crates and notices some of the contents have spilled out: bootleg Disney DVDs, fake designer bags, imitation gold watches, and similar merchandise.

"Christmas," he mutters to himself.

"I thought you went after the real bad guys. Drug dealers. Terrorists. Guys like that. Didn't expect you to go after small-timers like us."

"You don't know anything about the Maggia, do you?"

"I told you, I don't know what that is."

Cage pushes him to the side and walks away, leaving him perplexed.

"Hey, aren't you gonna bring me in? Someone hired you to come get me, right? I mean, that's what you do."

"No one hired me," Cage calls out.

The following morning, Daniel Rand walks through the hall of his business, wearing a nice suit. A random office worker passes him, "Welcome back, Mr. Rand." He smiles and nods as he continues, "Thank you." He continues to his office where his secretary sits outside his door, "Good morning, Mr. Rand. Good to have you back."

"Good to be back," he tells her.

"How was Asia?"

"It was... magical," he states with a pregnant pause.

"I know you want to get settled in, but the PR department wanted to see you as soon as possible."

"Okay. They probably want me to ask Luke Cage to do a commercial for Heroes For Hire. Or at least I hope so... he hates those things."

Danny shows up at the PR meeting room where he sees two men sitting at the end of a long table, "Good morning, Daniel. Please have a seat," one of them says as they shake his hand, "You can call me Tim and this is Dave."

"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?," Danny jokes as he sits down.

"Certainly not," Tim tells him, "This is actually more about Luke Cage and the Heroes For Hire company. As you know, it is under the umbrella of Rand Corps."

"Okay, if you're asking Luke to do a commercial, I can already tell you he's not -"

"Nothing like that," Dave cuts him off with a wide grin, "You were gone for a little while, so we're not sure how aware you are of the current situation."

"Uh, I haven't talked to Luke since coming back. I left a message but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. Is everything okay?"

"Not quite. We have a clip from a news broadcast we'd like you to see," Dave turns to a nearby TV screen and turns it on.

The screen lights up and a news anchor appears. "Late last night, a low rent house believing to belong to New York drug dealers was destroyed," the footage shows a small house that has been mostly flattened, "Police arrived on the scene and found narcotics and illegal weapons. The men inside the house received minor injuries but told police Luke Cage had attacked them and asked cryptic questions before leaving. This is one in a series of bizarre instances involving -," Dave turns the TV off.

"So was Luke hired to go after those guys?," Danny asks.

"As far as we can tell, no," Tim tells him.

"There's more," Dave adds.

"What?"

"Well, ... it seems Luke Cage had been charged with bank robbery, among other things last week."

"What?," Danny sits up in his seat.

"Don't worry, the charges were dropped," Tim assures him.

"It seems a terrorist took control of his mind along with several other people around New York."

"How is he?"

"We were hoping you could find out. He hasn't been seen much in public. In fact, he has refused to take a few private investigation cases of late. He won't even answer our calls."

"The public is already a little leery of him because of the whole mind-control thing... As Heroes For Hire is owned by Rand Corps, this doesn't look good for the company."

"Good to know you care," Danny states dryly.

"And as you now know, there have been reports that Luke Cage has been going after criminals around the tri-state area."

"But he's not taking any cases."

"Right."

"So he's acting as a vigilante. Why?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Tim explains.

"We understand you've become close friends with Mr. Cage and we were hoping you could speak with him," Dave continues, "Maybe convince him to take another case. We can't keep his company if he continues down this path. This could mean the end of Heroes For Hire."


	3. Chapter 3

Ava Ayala walks through the hallway of Empire State University. She is a young Latina woman who does not seem to be too much older than the students. She reaches an office with a door that reads Hector Ayala - Latin American Studies. She breathes a sigh before entering and once inside, sees an older Caucasian man with graying hair. This is Bob Diamond, now much older. He looks up at her with a smile, "Ava Ayala, you've grown up." She runs to him and gives him a big hug, "It's good to see you, Bob."

"Sorry about your brother. I wish I could have made it to the funeral."

"It's okay," she picks up a picture of an older man from the desk, "Hector was more of a father to me, really. Not just because of the age difference. He pretty much raised me."

"I heard he taught you how to fight too."

"Yeah. Brazilian jujitsu and capoeira. I'm a fitness trainer these days but sometimes I teach classes."

"Nice. I bet you would've beaten me in my prime," he says with a laugh.

"Probably," she smiles, "Hector told me all about the Sons of the Tiger. You, Abe Brown, and Lin Sun... You guys were pretty badass back in the day."

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago," Bob surveys the artifacts on Hector's wall, including silver gauntlets with clawed fingers, "Good to know Hector kept the tiger claws."

"Of course. They're pretty bad ass too."

"Just a little present from us."

"Sons of the Tiger," she says again, "Sounds like a bad kung-fu movie from the 70's."

"Well, it was the 70's."

She picks up an old, framed picture of the three of them, "Still, the three of you made a difference fighting the gangs of New York and everything. Even if Hector didn't tell me all the stories about you, I would have heard about it from the older people in my neighborhood."

"I'm sure the stories Hector told you were greatly exaggerated."

"I guess so. Anyway, I just came to his office to pack up his stuff. I'll be hanging around here for a while. If you need to take off soon, I can give you...," she goes a little quiet for a moment, "... Y'know."

He nods and becomes serious, "Yeah. I can take them off your hands."

Ava begins to open the safe in the office, "Seems weird for a professor of Latin American Studies to have stuff from Asia in his office," she removes a jade box from the safe which contains an engraving of a white tiger on the lid.

"They might not be from Asia," Bob reminds her as she lays it on the desk, then he gives her a look, "They may not even be from this world."

She smiles, "Hector told me about the White Tiger Amulet. I'm sorry, but... No."

He shrugs, "I don't blame you for not believing." She opens the lid, revealing the three talismans with gold chains. They are laid in such a way that they are not touching but they still form the shape of a tiger's silhouette. Ava removes two of them and raises them up to the sunlight to get a better view.

"I haven't gotten a good look at them in years," she says out loud, "They're nice, though. I don't understand why you and your friends got rid of them."

"After a couple of years, we learned what happened when you let the three talismans touch."

"I know," Ava explains as she hands them to him, "They snap together and form the White Tiger Amulet."

He turns to her cautiously, "It gave us power we never knew. That power went to our heads. We fought over this thing."

"And eventually the three of you decided to give them to Hector for safe keeping."

Bob places the two talismans in a satin bag, "Hector was our friend and had no claim to the White Tiger, so it seemed fair to let him have all three. We knew he was smart enough not to bring them together."

"So what will you do with them?"

"Lin Sun's widow is back in China, so I'll send her one piece. Abe Brown died in a plane crash years ago, but he left a dojo in Harlem. Think I'll let them have it."

"Why not take the third one," Ava reaches into the box and pulls out the last talisman, "I mean, you're all that's left of the Sons of the Tiger. You might as well have the third talisman."

Bob smiles, "It's all yours. Take good care of it."

Luke Cage sits in his office at Heros For Hire. He takes a sip of the whiskey at his desk as he looks over some notes, then surveys the map on the wall. It is a city map with a red circle around an area near Coney Island and a time. He thinks back to the past few days, catching glimpses of the Purple Man, his assault on police officers, and Jessica Jones in the hospital before he forces himself to come back to the present. He checks his watch, finishes the whiskey, and leaves. He makes his way down the sidewalk until someone stops him.

"Hey, Luke Cage," a young African American man calls out as he crosses the street.

"If you're with the press, I'm not giving interviews," Cage growls.

"I'm Lemar Hoskins," the young man explains as he follows Cage, "I run the Abe Brown Dojo."

"Abe Brown?," Cage stops for a moment.

"Yeah, you know who that is, right?"

"Yeah. He was in the... what,... the Tiger Sons?"

"Sons of the Tiger," he corrects him.

"Yeah, I remember hearing about Abe Brown when I was a kid. Used to fight the gangs with two of his friends."

"Bob Diamond and Lin Sun."

"Right. So there's an Abe Brown dojo?"

"Sure. Before Mr. Brown passed away, he set one up right here in Harlem. I teach kids there on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"Great," Cage begins to leave.

"Y'know, you've gotten a bad rap in the press lately but we're still on your side," he tells him as he follows, "Maybe you could stop by sometime and visit the dojo. You're a hero to those kids."

"Abe Brown was a hero," Cage tries to brush him off, "I'm not. Take it easy."

Lemar stops dead in his tracks and looks hurt. Cage continues on his way.

Meanwhile, Danny approaches Cage's office and knocks but there's no answer. He peers through the glass on the door and notices the lights are off, so he reaches into his pocket and produces a key which he uses to get inside. His eyes go wide when he sees an empty whiskey bottle on the desk along with dozens of notes and a large map of the city pinpointing various locations. One location catches his eyes, however: Coney Island, which still has a red circle and a time written on it. He nods to himself and quickly leaves.


	4. Chapter 4

That night, in a desolate section of Coney Island, a pickup truck and a van converge under a high dock. Two men in the pickup's bed get out, carrying a large crate while more men leave the van and the truck's cab. They drop the crate between them in the sand and open it, revealing automatic rifles and clips. The men from the van nod to one another and hand over a briefcase, which is opened to reveal several large bills.

Just then, Luke Cage lands on top of the van's roof, caving it in, and stands slowly, letting the men get a good look at him. "It's Luke Cage," one of them shouts and they turn, pulling handguns from their jackets and take aim. Cage leaps off the van with his arms spread out and close-lines two of them, then sends another flying with a punch to the chest. The rest of the men quickly reach into the storage crate and begin puling the automatic rifles out along with the clips. A shotgun is pulled and fired. Cage twists to the side a bit as the bullets bounce off his chest, then he brings his fist down, breaking it in half before headbutting the man into unconsciousness. With the automatic rifles finally loaded the rest of the men open fire, pelting Cage with high-powered bullets that knock him down as they bounce off his skin. He begins to get back up but the barrage pushes him down a slope in the sand. He grits his teeth in frustration as he places a single hand over his face. Soon, bullets stop flying, the clips run dry, and they fall out. "Reload," one of the men calls out and they quickly begin to do just that as Cage gets up.

Another figure drops down between the men. One receives a punch to the face, another gets a kick to the chest, another is taken out via roundhouse, and a fourth gets his disarmed rifle shoved into the bridge of his nose. One of the men turns and races back to the pickup truck as the figure swings the disarmed rifle around, taking out the last man. Cage brushes himself off with a dull look in his eyes, "What are you doing here, Danny?". Danny, now decked out in his K'un L'un gi turns and faces him, "I was about to ask you the same question."

The man in the pickup truck, hops into the bed and pulls a sheet back, exposing a rocket launcher. He stands up and takes aim, "Hey assholes!" Cage and Danny both turn in time for a rocket to be fired their way. Danny summons the Iron Fist and stands ready while his fist glows with amber chi energy. The rocket flies to him but he takes a swing, knocking it straight into the air where it explodes. Cage, meanwhile, kicks the front of the truck, forcing it to lurch and make the man topple out of the bed and to the ground. Finally, Danny turns to Cage, "We need to talk," but Cage ignores him and opts to go behind the truck, "Yeah. Let's talk."

As the man picks himself out of the sand, Cage snatches him by the back of his jacket and shoves him against the truck, "I see you and your boys got a gun-running operation going. Tell me about your connections."

"Well,... uh...," the man stammers.

"Well, uh, uh, nothing," Cage grabs him by the shirt, "I wanna know about the Maggia."

Danny approaches, "Luke, what is all this?"

"I don't know anything about a Maggia," the man tells him.

Cage raises a fist, "I see. You forgot. How about I break a few ribs to jog your memory?"

"Luke, that's enough," Danny grabs Cage by the forearm, "Whatever you're after, these men don't know about it."

Cage turns and glares, but says nothing.

"Whatever's happened, we need to deal with it together," Danny continues.

Cage turns back to the man and leans in close, "I know where to find you people. I will see you again and I'll be getting answers."

"Sure. Sure. Whatever you say, man."

Cage lightly slaps the man across the face and renders him unconscious, then turns to Danny, "Now we can talk."

Danny has removed his mask as they walk along the beach of Coney Island. "What's going on, Luke?," he asks, "I heard you had a run-in with some terrorist who took over your mind."

"Not just my mind," he explains, "He took Jessica's too."

"Jessica Jones?," Danny exclaims, "My God. Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she's okay now. At least physically. He made her attack me," Cage gets quieter, "She ended up in a coma. She recovered but it was all too much to deal with. We're separated at the moment."

"I'm so sorry, Luke. I wish I could have been here."

"I know. You had a trip to Asia to go on."

Danny stops, "Luke, you need to understand something. That trip to Asia was a mission. I was summoned to another world. Misty was nearly killed, too... There was nothing I could do."

"I understand."

"So since Jessica was hurt you've been going after random criminals for information? What was it you were asking that guy about? The.. Moggia?"

"The Maggia. It's a secret criminal organization. From what I know, they got people all over the world. This guy I fought, Zebidiah Killgrave, he worked for them. He's dead now but the rest of the group is still out there somewhere. I've been tracking them down ever since."

"Randomly breaking up crime rings and ignoring your responsibilities is not the way to do it. They're talking about you on the news. Rand Corps might get rid of Heroes For Hire all together if this keeps up. Not to mention the fact that you are still on parole and becoming a vigilante is not going to help you stay out of prison. This could ruin your life."

"I don't care about that anymore. I just want to take these people down. If I die doing it, then that's what happens."

"What about Jessica? Are you going to leave her alone? You still have friends. You still have loved ones."

"Yeah, I know. From what I've seen, they're better off not knowing me. All they do is get hurt," he places a hand on Danny's shoulder, "Danny, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from me. It won't end well for you."

"Seems to me, you need me around more than ever," Cage begins to leave, so he races after him, "Luke, I told you about my parents. How they were murdered and I sought vengeance. It was eating away at my soul. If it wasn't for Colleen and Misty, I would have made some pretty big mistakes."

"Yeah, Misty's a great girl," he turns back to face Danny, "You're lucky you have her around. I don't have anyone like that in my life anymore," with that, he leaves.


	5. Chapter 5

Bob Diamond enters a dojo in Harlem. There, he sees Lemarr Hoskins and a few of his trainers teaching martial arts to a group of teenagers. Lemarr notices Bob as he enters and immediately goes to him.

"You're Bob Diamond, aren't you?," he asks as he shakes his hand.

"Wow, you recognize me?"

"We still got a picture of you, Abe, and Lin Sun," Lemarr motions to a picture on the wall of the Sons of the Tiger, an identical picture as the one in Hector's office, "I'm Lemarr Hoskins."

"Nice to meet you," Bob reaches into his bag and removes one of the White Tiger talismans, "I have something that used to belong to Abe. A long time ago, we gave these to our friend Hector Ayala. He's no longer with us, so I thought I would let the dojo have it."

"This is one of the White Tiger talismans, isn't it?," Lemarr asks, "All three of you had one," he smiles widely, "Y'know, there used to be some urban legends about these things. They were supposed to have some powers or something."

"You never know," Bob says coyly.

"So what about the other two?"

"I'll be sending one off to China tomorrow," he explains, "I'll give it to Lin Sun's widow."

"Don't you have one of your own?"

"Not anymore."

"It's hard to believe, y'know. Both Lin Sun and Abe Brown are no longer with us."

"Yep," he pokes himself in the chest, "This old man is all that's left of the Sons of the Tiger. I'll see you around."

Back in his home, Bob sets the last talisman on the kitchen counter next to an empty mail package. He sighs to himself as he gazes at an old picture hanging on the wall of himself in a Chinese fighting gi. Next to that is an old movie poster with him on it, indicating that he had once been in a low budget action movie that has been long since forgotten. He sits down in his armchair and rests for a moment until the lights begin to dim slightly. He doesn't quite notice until they flicker and become more erratic, drawing his attention before they shut off completely. He gets out of his seat and turns in time for the lights to come back on and there, he sees a group of figures on the other side of the living room. The main figure is a pale man with a dark beard, wrapped in a black cloak with sunken, beady eyes and long, jet black hair tied behind his ears. He is accompanied by ninjas dressed all in black, complete with black goggles that mask even their eyes. Bob leaps back and takes a fighitng stance, "Who are you people? What are you doing here?".

"You may call me Master Kahn," he tells him, "I believe you have something that belongs to us."

"I have nothing here that belongs to you."

"Of course you do."

Bob glances at the talisman on his kitchen counter but says nothing, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Get out of here before I call the cops."

"I can sense its power. It's here," Kahn lowers his gaze to the counter and finally notices the talisman, "Ah,... there it is."

Bob turns and makes a run for it, but before he can reach it, a large hand clamps down on it. He looks up and notices a large, muscular man with long dark hair and a beard. He wears a golden skull cap that runs down the length of his nose and a sleeveless tunic that is a dark red color with pants to match. Around his waist is a red sash with a scimitar holstered in it. He wear dark boots and has gold, metallic wrist guards as well. Scimitar opens the bag and removes Lin Sun's talisman, then turns to Kahn.

"We'll be on our way now," Kahn makes his way across the room along with his men.

Bob steps in his path, "You're not going anywhere."

"Whatever threat you might have posed in the past, those days are long gone," Kahn tells him, "You were a young, brave warrior once, I'm sure of it. Your days are long gone and I would hate to see you killed in an undignified manner."

"Let me choose how I die, pal," he pulls his fist back, "You're not taking that talisman."

Kahn smiles, "Brave, but foolish."

He opens the palm of his hand and releases a translucent motion-wave that ripples through the air and sends Bob into a bookshelf where he falls limp to the ground among debris. Kahn closes his eyes thoughtfully and the ninjas behind him likewise bow. "A moment of respect," he tells them, "His life will belong to me soon. We should honor him." Scimitar also bows his head in reverence. Kahn then opens his eyes and motions for the talisman to be given to him and Scimitar obliges. He looks at it and smiles, "Two left," and the lights flicker before going off completely. When they come back on, they have all gone, leaving Bob alone and beaten on the floor.

Ava runs through an emergency room in the hospital and as she gets near one of the beds, a police officer stops her. "I'm afraid you can't come in here, ma'am," he tells her. "I'm Ava Ayala," she tells him, "Bob called me here." Bob can be heard from behind a curtain, "For God's sake, let her through." The officer lets her pass and she runs to the bed, pulling the curtain back to reveal a badly battered Bob Diamond who is wearing a neck brace.

"Bob, what happened?," she asks, "Who did this."

"Some guy named Kahn," he gasps, "They're... they're after the White Tiger. Do... you still have your talisman?"

"I have it, don't worry," she tells him, "What about the others?"

"He got one... Couldn't stop him."

"It's all right. You did your best. What about the third one?"

"It's at the Abe Brown Dojo."

"Okay. I'll let the cops know."

"No,... Not the cops. The person who took it... was too dangerous."

"Okay, okay. Who should I contact then?"

"Someone... with the power to stop them. They must not... get the talismans."

Later, Ava steps outside the hospital with a worried expression. As she contemplates her next move, she looks up. There, she sees a billboard for Heroes For Hire, featuring a picture of Luke Cage. She silently contemplates this until she looks down at a man reading a newspaper on a bench. The headline for the paper reads "Has Luke Cage Gone Too Far?". She shakes her head and heads to a nearby subway entrance. It's dark and mostly empty. As she descends the stairs, a shadow follows her to the platform.


	6. Chapter 6

Ava steps onto the subway platform just as the train departs, leaving her behind. "Just my luck," she mutters to herself as she watches the train fly by. Once it passes, she notices a figure standing on the platform on the other side of the tracks. He's dressed head to toe in black: one of Khan's minions. She nervously begins to back up and bumps into another man wearing the same costume and mask. She turns and screams before throwing a punch, only to have the man catch her wrist. Undaunted, she snatches his forearm with both hands and throws him over her shoulder, but he flips in mid-air and lands on his feet. She backs away from him cautiously, only for the second ninja to leap across the tracks and land next to her; they both close in on either side. "Get back!," she screams and spins into a roundhouse kick to the face of the one behind her and cartwheels away from the second. With her attackers at a distance, she runs for the stairs and makes her way up the first small flight, only for one of the ninjas to leap in her path from around the corner. She kicks him in the chest, forcing him against the wall, then grabs and throws him behind her. The other two start to race up the steps but stop once their partner tumbles down the stairs in front of them, briefly blocking their path. A fourth ninja creeps up behind Ava and wraps one arm around her throat and the other pins her arm. She struggles, but he manages to wrestle the purse off her shoulder before throwing her to the floor. The other three come up the stairs to join him as he opens her bag and starts to rummage through it.

"Just take all the money you want," Ava pleads. After a few seconds, the ninja shakes his head at his three partners. They drop the purse on the floor beside Ava and race up the second flight of stairs to the sidewalk above and disappear out of view. "What do you want from me?," she shouts at them before gathering her things and racing up the steps. Once she is topside, she sees no trace of her attackers but she notices the Heroes For Hire sign above her once again.

The next day, Danny returns to Cage's office but sees no trace of him. "Luke?," he calls out but there's no answer. He looks around the office and notices that all of Cage's notes are gone. His search is interrupted when the phone rings. He picks it up, "Heroes For Hire." Ava is on the other line, "Uh, is this Luke Cage?"

"No, this is Daniel Rand."

"The guy from Rand Corps?"

"Yes, but I'm involved with Heroes For Hire cases as well. What can we do for you?"

"My name is Ava Ayala. I need help."

Danny sits down, "Okay. What seems to be the problem?"

"A friend of mine was put in the hospital and the attackers stole something from him. It was some sort of necklace. I think the same people who put him in the hospital are after me now."

"Why's that?"

"I have another necklace. Last night, after visiting my friend, a group of men in black costumes attacked me on the subway. They seemed to be looking for something and when they didn't find it, they left."

"You think they were looking for one of these necklaces?"

"I'm sure of it. These guys seem to be pretty dangerous. I thought maybe I needed some extra muscle for protection."

"Sure. Let me contact Luke Cage and we'll meet with you in person."

"Luke Cage. Um, sorry for bringing this up, but I've been hearing some things in the press about him of late. I was a little concerned calling you."

"Don't worry. Despite what you've heard in the media, he's capable of taking this case. I'll make sure of that personally."

Hours later, Cage is in his apartment, pouring over his old notes. He reaches for his bottle of whiskey but notices it's gone, so he gets up and moves to the kitchen area where he grabs the next bottle. On his way back to his couch, he passes a window... where Danny Rand is crouching on the outside of the sill. "Christmas!," Luke shouts and nearly drops the bottle. He goes to the window and opens it, noticing that Danny is barely holding on to a window ledge several stories up.

"You could've knocked on the door like a normal person," he growls.

"If I knocked on the door, would you have opened it?," Danny asks.

"No."

"Exactly."

"I didn't know you were such a good climber."

"I had to climb my way out of K'un L'un. This is nothing. Can I come in?"

"I guess."

Cage steps back, allowing Danny to enter his apartment. "I noticed you weren't in your office," Danny begins.

"I figured you would show up," Cage sets the bottle down, "Looks like I was right. Should've realized you were gonna come by my place."

"We have a case."

"We?"

"Yeah, we have a case."

"No, **we** don't. ** You** can have one if you want it, though. Good luck, Danny."

"You need it."

"Already got a case."

"The Maggia?"

"Yeah, the Maggia."

"Luke, have you thought about the possibility that beating up low-ranking criminals won't get you any closer to finding a worldwide criminal syndicate?"

"The thought crossed my mind. You got any better ideas?"

"Yes. It's called getting off your ass and doing something besides obsessing over a lost cause."

"It's not a lost cause. I gotta do this for Jessica. I gotta do it for me."

"I want to get these bastards as much as you do, but this isn't the way to do it. You're only hurting yourself by pouring all your energy into randomly beating up other people. You're just acting out of pure anger and focusing it on easy targets."

"One of these days, I'll come across someone who knows something."

"Right now, the Maggia probably know you're after them and they're staying low on purpose. You won't find them. At least not this way."

"I'm gonna find them. Believe me."

"Really? Do you have any leads?"

Cage is quiet for a moment.

"It's not healthy, Luke. None of this is. Look, why don't you come along on this one case. It'll help you clear your head. From the sounds of things, it won't be too complicated. We can probably crack it in a day. Then you can go back to tracking down the Maggia."

Cage contemplates his decision.

Danny continues, "You need a break. No matter how angry you are, you know you're exhausted. Tell you what, why don't you come to the office with me. I have a meeting with our client at 5 o' clock. You can listen to her case and if you still don't want to take it, you can leave it to me."

"All right," Cage states finally, "If it'll mean you won't be climbing through my window again."


	7. Chapter 7

Ava sits in the office, facing them; Danny sits on the edge of the desk while Cage stands on the far side of the room with his arms folded. Ava begins the conversation, "To be honest, I had my doubts about coming to you guys but I don't know that I have much of a choice. Someone is after artifacts that are very important to my family. Someone very dangerous and powerful. I need any help I can get."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Cage snarls.

"We promise we'll do everything in our power to ensure the safety of these artifacts," Danny tells her, "First, what can you tell us about them?"

"The White Tiger Amulet is made up of three connecting talismans," she begins as she reflects on the story she had been told, "According to legend, they were discovered by Shoalin monks thousands of years ago."

**_She imagines ancient Shaolin monks holding the talismans in their hands._**

"The monks felt that the talismans gave them added strength and speed. They could feel the power surging through their bodies when they wore them."

**_Three monks train while wearing them around their necks._**

"The talismans were passed down through multiple generations of martial artists. It was a tradtion that lasted centuries."

_**The monks are now much older. They place the talismans around the necks of younger monks.**_

"This is where the Sons of the Tiger come in."

Danny interrupts, "The Sons of the Tiger?"

"You're into martial arts, I think you would've liked them," Cage tells him, "They're local heroes around the hood."

Ava continues her story, **_imagaining the three martial artists in their younger days as they hike through the mountains in Tibet_**, "The Sons of the Tiger were three friends with an interest in martial arts. There was Abe Brown from Harlem, Bob Diamond an aspiring actor, and Lin Sun a Chinese immigrant. They traveled to Tibet to learn ancient techniques," _**the three of them arrive at a temple**._

"The instructors were impressed with the three of them and decided to teach them further."

_**They place the talismans around their necks at the end of their training.**_

_"_Eventually, it was decided that they should recieve the talismans and they began calling themselves Sons of the Tiger."

_**She imagines gang members mugging an older man in an alley.**_

"They decided to take their new skills to the streets and battled the gangs in rough areas."

_**The gang members freeze once they notice the three men entering the alley. At that point, the three of them begin taking turns dealing with the gang members with a series of punches and kicks.**_

_"_They made a name for themselves pretty quickly but then one day, they realized the three talismans could be connected to form the White Tiger Amulet."

_**The three of them sit around the table and slowly piece their three talismans together. Once they are connected, a faint white shimmer runs along the edges and the reflection of this light dances across their faces as they stare into it with wonder.**_

"Supposedly, creating the White Tiger Amulet increased a person's performance three fold and it gave the wearer the combined skills and knowledge of everyone who previously wore them. At least, that's how three of them felt when they briefly wore the thing."

_**The White Tiger hangs on a wall in their dojo and the three men stare at it. They begin eyeing each other suspiciously and slowly distance themselves from one another as they clench their fists.**_

"They would argue over who would get to keep it and none of them wanted to back down. It caused a huge fight and ruined their friendship. They eventually decided to get rid of the damn thing."

_**The three men fly at one another and begin throwing punches and kicks while blocking and dodging each other.**_

Ava finishes up her story, "My brother Hector had befriended them years earlier. They would spar together often and they knew they could trust him with the White Tiger."

_**Hector Ayala places the talismans in the jade box and closes the lid.**_

"My brother passed away recently, so the talismans were left to me. I gave two of them to Bob Diamond and kept the third."

"And now someone is after the talismans?," Danny asks, "You think they're trying to create the White Tiger?"

"Yeah, Bob Diamond had one and he was attacked last night. His talisman was stolen and I think the men who came after me last night were looking for one as well."

"So we got three of these things. Whoever attacked Bob Diamond has one talisman already," Luke verifies, "You said you have another one. What about the third?"

"Bob gave it to the Abe Brown Dojo. I assume it's still there."

"Any idea who might be after this thing?," Danny asks.

"None. According to Bob, whoever it was, he's powerful."

Danny turns to Cage," You still want in on this?"

Cage nods, "I think... I could visit the Abe Brown Dojo. I met a guy who works there a couple days ago. I feel bad since I was kind of a punk to him."

"There's a surprise," Danny says jokingly.

Cage shoots him a look but mostly ignores the comment, "Maybe I can pay them a visit and make sure the thing is safe."

Danny smiles, "Good to have you back on the team."

"I'm doing this until I get a new lead on the Maggia," he reminds him.

"Fair enough," Danny turns to Ava, "I'll go with Ava to make sure the second talisman is safe."

"No offense, but aren't you just a businessman?," she asks, "What if we get into trouble?"

"I might surprise you. Let's go."

Not long after that, Cage enters the Abe Brown Dojo. Lemarr takes a break from teaching his students once he notices Cage and approaches him with a smile. "Luke Cage. Good to see you."

"Yeah. Sorry about the other day. Rough times," Cage tells him apologetically, "I was a real punk. No excuse for it."

"It's cool. I was kind of going all fanboy when I met you anyway. Hey, you wanna meet the kids?"

"To be honest, I'm kinda here on business. I'm on a case that actually deals with Abe Brown and the Sons of the Tiger. Have you seen Bob Diamond recently?"

"Yeah, Bob showed up yesterday. He gave us Abe's old chain," Lemarr motions toward the talisman on the wall, which is now hanging up below the old Sons of the Tiger picture.

"That's kind of what I needed to talk to you about. Someone is after these necklaces. Someone dangerous from all indications. I'm gonna need to take it for a while if you don't mind. Keep it safe."

"Sure, it's no problem."

"Thanks," Cage walks toward the talisman.

"Y'know, people still look up to you here in Harlem," Lemarr tells him, "You're kind of a modern day Abe Brown."

"I don't know about that," Cage says as he stops.

"You are. I don't know what's going on with you right now, man, but it's true. Believe it or not, there are people out there who consider you a hero. If it weren't for you, some of these kids would have probably joined a gang by now."

"Yeah,... I guess."

Before the conversation can continue, the lights begin to flicker, drawing the attention of everyone inside. Before they can question it, everything goes dark.


	8. Chapter 8

Danny and Ava arrive at her apartment; it's small, cheap, and along one wall are the silver, clawed gauntlets that were once in Hector Ayala's office. "Your brother was kind of a Renaissance Man, wasn't he?," Danny asks her as they come in, "Professor of Latin American Studies, martial artist,... keeper of mystical artifacts."

"Yeah, he was great. I really miss him," Ava tells him.

He examines the claws on the wall, "What are these for?"

"The Sons of the Tiger made them for Hector. It was to commemorate his ownership of the White Tiger Amulet."

"They look sharp."

"They are, so touch`em at your own peril," she tells him playfully as she removes the jade box from a closet and lays it on a counter, then takes the talisman out to show Danny, "Here it is."

"Fascinating," Danny holds the talisman up for a closer view, "Hopefully, Luke got the other without trouble."

"No offense, but he didn't seem too keen on being there today. On the news, they said he kind of went off the deep end. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I believe there is a serious threat out there that requires the help of superheroes, I would have taken this to the police."

"He's going through some tough times. I'm trying to help him."

"Word of advice: find out what he needs."

"What?"

"People deal with problems in different ways. Take me, for instance. My brother died last week. We didn't have a dad growing up so he was the closest thing I had to one considering the age difference. Know how I dealt with the loss? I kept myself busy. I've been cleaning out his office, training,... fighting ninjas in subways... whatever keeps me occupied. You just need to find out what Luke needs."

"He needs to just let me help him."

"Maybe. Maybe not. You know him better than I do."

"Yeah. I spent my entire childhood... away from home. He's one of the few close friends I have."

"From the sounds of things you guys lead pretty strange lives just like the Sons of the Tiger. Hopefully your friendship won't go the same way."

Just then, the door is kicked in and Scimitar steps into the room with a deathly glare, but says nothing. Danny steps in front of Ava, protecting her.

"Is this the guy who's after the talismans?," Danny asks.

"You're guess is as good as mine but considering he just kicked in my door..."

"Yeah, sorry. Dumb question."

Back at the Abe Brown Dojo, the lights finally come on and Cage and Lemarr face Kahn's ninja enforcers. Two of them pull short swords and the other two produce collapsible staffs. The students huddle together and back away over the mat. Cage leans over to Lemarr, "Get the kids out of here." "Right," Lemarr quickly rushes to the students and begins shooing them toward the exit, "Just stay calm, guys. Let's get outside." As the students leave the silent ninjas turn their attention to the talisman on the wall. "So it's safe to say you boys are after the talisman," Cage tells them, "I can't let you walk out of here with it." They turn silently toward him and he continues, "Something tells me it's not up for debate with you, though." They take fighting stances. He nods, "Thought so."

Cage leaps across the room but they pivot to the side and Cage passes between them; when he hits the floor, he slides into the floorboards, digging a trench before he slam head-first into the wall. He pops onto his feet and the ninjas with swords begin to spin them wildly, striking him multiple times around his head and bare arms which he raises in defense. Because of his invulnerable skin, the blades are deflected and sparks begin to fly, but he is unharmed. He throws a punch at one, but misses and ends up putting a hole in the wall. The two ninjas with staffs plunge their weapons against his chest, pinning him back against the wall. He grabs the ends of the staffs and gives them a hard shove, sending the ninjas flying into the air.

Danny punches Scimitar across the face but only manages to turn his head. He only has time to make a nervous smile before he is backhanded to the ground. Ava wastes no time; she throws the talisman in the jade box and shoves it into her bag. Scimitar pulls his sword, raises it, and plunges it down just before Danny rolls out of the way, allowing the blade to stab the floor. He gives Scimitar a kick to the gut which forces him to take a step back and allows him to stand. Scimitar swings and Danny has just enough time to jump back to avoid getting disemboweled. Scimitar brings his sword back and Danny arches his back just before a nearby lamp shatters upon impact. He brings it around in an overhead swing and Danny pivots to the side of the blade and gives Scimitar an elbow to the bridge of the nose, followed by a palm thrust to the chin. It forces him back enough that he is afforded a kick to his chest, which puts more distance between them. Danny attempts to press the attack but his luck soon runs out as Scimitar recovers and snatches him by the throat; he is soon tossed over the back of the couch where he rolls off and flattens the coffee table.

Ava leaps in with a capoeira somersault kick across his face. He takes a swing but she dances under the blade and pivots around him where she leaps on his back and attempts a choke-hold, so he grabs her forearm and rotates his torso around, throwing her into a wall. Danny leaps in behind him, wraps both arms around his throat, and twists, flipping him onto the floor. Once Scimitar gets up, Danny performs a flying kick that sends him out the window behind him where he hits the metal bars of the fire escape. Then he helps Ava to her feet and rushes her to the door, "Go! Go!".

A ninja flips over Cage's head and takes a swipe with his sword. When he lands, Cage thrusts his forearm against his chest, sending him across the room into a rack of practice boards. The two ninjas with staffs come in and begin to spin them around, striking Cage in the head and chest. He staggers back and finally slams his foot into the floor, causing it to cave in. The ninjas trip and fall to their knees, so Cage takes the opportunity to clunk their heads together, rendering them unconscious. The final ninja stands off to the side and Cage turns to him, "Just me and you. What now?". The ninja sheaths his swords and stands back. A surprised Cage nods, "Smart," and turns to the talisman on the wall,... which is now gone. He looks around the room frantically and sees Master Kahn at the other end of the room, holding it in his hands.

"You're a strong fighter," Kahn tells him, "Fierce but sloppy. Then again, with your power, you don't need much finesse, do you?"

"Put it down or you're gonna see how fierce I can be."

"It belongs to me," Kahn places the talisman in his cloak.

"Last time I checked, you don't have to steal something that belongs to you."

"Simply because you find something and keep it for many years, it does not mean it belongs to you."

"Who are you?"

"You may call me, Master Kahn."

"I'll just stick with Kahn. Less formal."

Cage runs toward Kahn but he quickly opens both hands and releases twin motion waves that ripple through the air, lifting Cage up along with chunks of the floor, and sending him across the room where he is smashed through the wall and falls into the locker room on the other side. Cage shakes his head to clear it and quickly rushes back into the training room. There, he finds a damaged but empty dojo, but no sign of Kahn or the talisman.

Danny and Ava race down the hall of her apartment building. "You have the talisman?," Danny asks. She nods and gives a breathless, "Yeah." He stops and motions toward the nearby stairwell, "Get in your car. If I'm not down in one minute, leave without me and go to the office." She nods in agreement and runs down the stairs. A second later, Scimitar leaves Ava's apartment and paces down the hall toward Danny. He clenches his fist, summoning the Iron Fist briefly for a low-level attack and once his target gets close enough, he punches Scimitar in the chest, releasing a small burst of chi energy that sends him flying down the hall where he hits the opposite wall and drops in an unconscious heap. In the parking lot below, Ava gets in her car and starts it. The door flies open and she screams until she realizes it's Danny. He gets in and simply tells her, "Drive!". They fly out of the parking lot moments later.

Back in the hallway, Scimitar stirs awake as he realizes someone is standing over him, which he soon realizes is Master Kahn. He crawls to one knee and humbly bows his head, "I'm sorry, my lord. I have failed."

Kahn smiles at him and motions for him to stand, "Scimitar, you are my finest warrior. Rise." He stands to his feet and Kahn continues,"You have proven your merit in the past and there will be many more chances to prove yourself in the future."

"I lost the talisman."

"But I have one," he opens the palm of his hand and reveals the second talisman, "There's only one left."


	9. Chapter 9

Danny and Ava sit in the Heroe sFor Hire office. He hands her a glass of water and she nervously takes it and sips.

"You do this sort of thing often?," she asks.

"Pretty much," he answers, "You learn to live with it after a while. Sorry."

Cage comes through the door, "Tell me you guys have your talisman."

"Ava has it. What happened? Did you get the second one? Did you have any trouble?"

"Yeah, there was trouble," Cage sits down behind the desk, "Some guy showed up with his own little band of Ninja Turtles. Probably the same dudes Ava met in the subway. I took care of the mooks but he got the talisman and left."

"Damn," Ava sighs.

"What did he look like? Did he say anything to you?"

"He looked like a corpse. All black haired, pale; like an older version of those obnoxious kids who shop at Hot Topic. Said his name was Kahn... Master Kahn."

"Master Kahn," Danny repeats, "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Know `im?"

"Maybe. So what happened?"

"He had some sort of, I dunno,... magic powers or something. Between that and the ninjas, I was out of my element. That's more your speed, man."

"For right now, we need to figure out who Kahn is, what he wants with these talismans, and where to find him."

"Look, Danny, if you need someone strong to punch stuff, you know where to find me but this... This is beyond me."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you need to take this case yourself. I don't think I'm cut out for it."

"No way. We're in this together."

"I just got rolled by Criss Angel's creepy uncle. I'm out."

"I can't believe you're doing this."

"Man, even the ninjas were running circles around me before I got it together. I'm just not feeling it."

"I'm not gonna let you give up this easily."

"This might not be a good conversation to have in front of a client," Ava states flatly, "Just say'n."

"Stop trying to play big brother. You're not cut out for it. Especially since I'm older."

"I need your help, whether you admit it or not."

"You need my help? Then why does it seem you're the one who's trying to help me?"

"It's not mutually exclusive."

"Yeah, I'm still here," Ava adds.

"So let's say I help you, Danny. How are we gonna find these guys?"

"I don't know. You're the one who's done the most detective work out of the two of us. That's why I need your help."

"Yeah, right. I'm the Sherlock of Harlem. I still can't help you because there aren't any leads. We have no idea where this guy is or where he'll turn up next. From the looks of things, he can pop in and out whenever he wants. We have no way to be ready for him."

"Yeah, we do," Ava finally gets their attention, "Look, we know this guy Khan and his men keep popping up out of nowhere to take the talismans so it's obvious he's drawn to them somehow. If he does have some sort of magic powers, then it's not far-fetched to assume any minute now, he could come crashing through that door to take them. We just have to be ready when he shows up next."

"She's right," Cage admits, "I guess we could draw him out by using the last talisman as bait."

"If we pick the place, we could have a home court advantage," Danny adds.

Cage sighs, "Okay man, I'm in this for a little longer. I'll help you take down Khan and get the last talismans back."

"I'm glad you're coming around," he smiles.

"If you guys want, I can leave you two alone," Ava says and gets a sharp look from both men.

"Let's prep," Danny says and the two of them leave the room.

"I have no idea how they've managed to solve any cases before meeting me," Ava mutters to herself.

In a darkened, stone-laid grotto lit by torchlight, Scimitar stand with the ninjas on either sid eof him. Kahn approaches with his two talismans. He places them next to one another and the two pieces shimmer along the edge as they fuse together, forming two side of a tiger's face. "We only have two pieces," Kahn explains, "But I would like you to have them. They will increase your power, so you'll be ready for our adversaries next time." Scimitar bows and Kahn places the chains around his neck. When he raises his face, he smiles triumphantly; a brief glint shines off the silver emblem around his neck.

That night, Danny and Cage walk through a derelict lot with Danny now in his K'un L'un fighting gi with his mask stashed in his belt. Danny picks up a random rock and casually tosses and catches it as Cage walks beside him.

"So you think they'll show up tonight?," Cage asks.

"Kahn made two simultaneous attacks today. He wants the White Tiger and now he knows he has opposition. I imagine he'll make a move as soon as possible."

"When he shows up, we stick together and take him down ASAP."

"Then we interrogate him for the location of the other talismans."

"Let's hope this works."

They make their way to a nearby derelict, two story parking building that is no longer in use. Inside, they stand and wait on the lower level amidst concrete pillars and blank, gray walls; in the corner, a generator runs with a series of small lights connected to it, casting enough visibility for the two of them. Danny gazes at the last talisman before stashing it in his belt, then pulls his mask on. "So earlier, you said you recognize this guy?," Cage asks. "The name sounds familiar," Danny explains, "I think I heard it a long time ago, but I doubt it's the same ...," he's is interrupted when the already-dark room suddenly gets darker. The lights begin to flicker rapidly before they shut off. They are cast in darkness for a few moments before the lights slowly return to reveal the figures across the wide room. Kahn stands in front with Scimitar behind him.

"You must be Kahn," Danny calls out.

Kahn's eyes widen as he sees Danny decked out in his fighting gi and visible dragon tattoo, "And you... must be from K'un L'un."


	10. Chapter 10

Danny and Cage remain calm as Kahn draws attention to Danny's dragon tattoo, "That is the Mark of Shou-Lao. I haven't seen it in centuries," Kahn tilts his head curiously, "Although I'm not so sure you're native to K'un L'un."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Danny tries to hide his surprise.

"Don't be coy. I recognize your dragon emblem. It's not the first I've seen."

Danny shrugs, "What can I say, it's trendy these days."

Cage leans over and whispers, "Leave the witty banter to me, okay?"

"You know what we're after," Scimitar shouts, "Give it to us and we'll leave peacefully."

"I notice your boy over there has the White Tiger Amulet," Cage calls out once he spots the talisman hanging around Scimitar's neck, "Or at least he has two thirds of it."

"Yes," Kahn strolls forward and raises his hand, "The third talisman, if you please."

"There's a problem with that. We don't feel like giving it to you," he turns to Danny,"Right?"

"Not so much, no."

"See? Looks like we're not giving it to you."

"I would expect no less," Kahn raises his hands and unleashes twin wave-motion blasts that rip through the ceiling.

Danny and Cage both leap in two directions as debris rains down. Danny tucks and rolls away as several chunks of concrete fall behind him along with a brown cloud. Luke launches himself forward through the falling debris in an attempt to attack Kahn but he's hit with a chunk of granite and gets pinned down once more fall on him. When Danny rises to his feet, he notices a massive pile of concrete and mortar blocking him from the rest of the room and Cage; when he turns, he sees Kahn standing nearby. He leans into a one-hand stand as a motion-wave punches a hole through the wall behind him. Kahn fires another, putting a hole through the floor as Danny continues to flip and tumble across the room before reaching the stairwell and escaping. On the other side of the debris wall, a slab of concrete is shattered and Cage pulls himself out, shifting the debris around him as he crawls from under the wreckage. Once he gets to his feet, Scimitar flies in from the side with a kick to his ribs that sends him against a nearby pillar. Cage ducks around the pillar in time for Scimitar to swing his sword hard enough that he cuts a large chunk out of the concrete. Cage comes around the otherside and tackles him against the pile of debris, only for Scimitar to grab a piece of mortar and break it over his head, staggering him.

Danny rushes up the stairs to the rooftop where he sees Kahn waiting for him on the other side of the roof. "This is as good a place as any for a private conversation," Kahn tells him, "So you are the current champion of K'un L'un... the Iron Fist."

"What do you know about K'un L'un?"

"Quite a bit,... they once worshiped me as a god."

"A god?"

"They believed so."

"I know those people. They don't impress easily."

"You're right. And yet, they found me worthy of praise. You should as well."

"Sorry, I tend to not worship anyone who tries to kill me."

Danny races forward and Kahn quickly fires a blast that cuts a curved swathe along the roof, forcing Danny into a sideways flip. While in mid-air, Kahn fires another blast that grazes Danny across the shoulder that knocks him down.

Inside, Scimitar swings his sword and Cage leans back to avoid it. Scimitar twirls it in his palm and performs an upward swing that manages to connect with Cage; he stumbles back and notices a bloody cut across his chest. "You're string I'll give you that," he mutters, "But you need a little more muscle if you wanna kill me." Scimitar roars and raises his sword, ready to plunge it inside Cage, but he grabs him by the forearms and shoves him against the wall. There, he gives Scimitar a knee to the gut and flips him on the ground, forcing him to let go of his sword.

Above, Danny rolls along the roof and gives Khan a kick to the chest which takes him off his feet. His cloak flaps in the wind, rising over his barely visible hands and head until they cover him completely and when he falls to the floor, there is only an empty black robe that flattens as it sinks. Danny approaches it curiously, shifting the empty cloak with his foot. There is silence for a moment, then the cloak comes to life and rises along with Kahn as Danny is knocked back by the force. He angrily leaps back to his feet and charges again, but Kahn crosses his arms across his chest, producing a blue, translucent sphere around his body. Danny beats his palms against the forcefield, but nothing gets through.

Below, Scimitar gets up and strikes Cage across the face. The punch turns his head to the side, eliciting a smile from him, "Not bad." Then, he delivers an upper cut that throws him to the floor and renders him unconscious. Cage yanks the chain off Scimitar's neck, "I'll take these," and quickly shoves the talismans in his pocket before moving on.

On the roof, Danny summons the Iron Fist as he stands in front of Kahn's forcefield. "I would advise agaisnt that," Kahn warns but Danny does not listen. He strikes the forcefield and the resulting explosion throws him across the roof where he hit the edge, nealry falling off the side. Stunned, Danny flops over on his back in an attempt to catch his breath. Kahn, meanwhile, remains unharmed as the forcefield drops. He raises his hand and the talisman flies out of Danny's belt and into his grasp. "It's a shame I have to kill you," he tells Danny, "You could have made a great disciple." Danny peers over the ledge and turns back to Kahn, "Sorry to disappoint you." Kahn raises his hand for a killing blast but before he can act, Danny throws himself over the ledge and drops an entire story and as he passes the second floor, Luke Cage's hand shoots out of a busted-out window and grabs his forearm. Cage carries Danny's momentum and quickly pulls him inside. Kahn peers over the edge and sees no sign of him and leaves, having already gotten what he came for.

On the second level, Cage pulls Danny to his feet, "That went well."

"He has the talisman," Danny tells him.

"I got the other two. Let's see head him off before he gets away."

Danny and Luke arrive in the lower level and notice there is no sign of Scimitar or Kahn.

"Damn," Danny mutters, "He's gone."

"Must've cut his loses."

"For now. He'll be coming after the last talismans soon," Danny explains.

"What happens now?"

"I need to do a little reading."


	11. Chapter 11

At Danny's house, he takes an old book from his shelf and lays it out on his desk; there, Cage noticess the Mark of Shou-Lao. Danny opens the book and begins pouring through the pages as Cage peers over his shoulder. "So what's this?," he asks. "The Book of the Iron Fist," Danny replies. At this point, Cage notices every page is blank from his perspective, "There aren't any words." Danny nods as he turns a page, "Only people with the Iron Fist can read it," which prompts a silent eye-roll from Cage.

"This book contains techniques for the Iron Fist as well as history on everyone who has had its power," Danny explains, "It gives a lot of insight into the history of K'un L'un. Obviously, Kahn is familiar with it. He even mentioned people used to worship him there. Hopefully, we can learn more about his past."

"You said the name sounded familiar."

"Yeah, I remember a whispered rumor when I was a kid: Master Kahn, the boogy man. During my training, some of the other kids tried to spook me by saying he would come during the night to steal my soul."

"So at some point, he went from being a god to being a demon."

"Looks that way."

"If people used to worship him, why didn't you hear more about it?"

"People in K'un L'un don't like talking about things that make them uncomfortable."

"That's not too convenient when one of their old enemies is trying to kill us."

"You have no idea," Danny turns the page, "Ah, here we go... Master Kahn," Danny explains the story to Cage.

_Winter in K'un L'un: an instructor leads a group of warriors in excercises. They wear garbs similar to Danny but they are completely topless despite the snow and cold. _

"Not long after K'un L'un was banished from Earth, Master Kahn showed up in the city."

_A younger and slightly less-pale Kahn approaches the group with a broad smile. They stop their excercises and stare curiously at him. Soon, he begins addressing the group and they listen intenetively._

"K'un L'un normally does not allow outsiders but they were pulled in by his mystique and good nature. He came from parts unknown and offered to give the warriors of K'un L'un great power."

_Kahn stands in a temple and addresses a larger group._

"Soon, his cult grew and they worshipped him as a god. The king forbid people from meeting with him but they did not listen."

_Royal guards rush into the room with spears ready. Kahn simply motions toward them and gives a commanding shout. The cult-members swarm the guards and quickly overpower them and remove their spears._

"They tried to arrest him many times but his followers were brainwashed into following his every command."

_Some time later, Kahn's followers have grown in number. He now stands before several rows of followers as a young man lays on an alter. He hovers over the man with a large, ceremonial dagger._

"Kahn began asking his followers to offer themselves up as sacrifices. Despite this, the number of his followers increased. They believd Kahn was absorbing their life force, allowing their souls to inhabit his body."

_The ceremonial dagger is plunged into the man's chest._

"He was acting as a sort of living afterlife for them."

_The man's blood runs off the alter and into a goblet. Kahn raises the goblet and shows his followers before dirnking it. As he does, his age seems to decrease and color returns to his face._

"He would drink their blood in order to take their souls and supposedly, this increased his power."

_The wall of the temple explodes, knocking several followers out of the way. Kahn drops the goblet and the remaining followers turn to face their foe. A man wearing the Iron Fist costume along with the dragon tattoo on his chest enters the room. He clenches his hand, igniting the Iron Fist._

"The king eventually sent an Iron Fist to deal with Kahn."

In the present, Danny closes the book and turns to Cage, "During the fight, Kahn escaped and presumably left K'un L'un all together. If it's the same guy, he's been alive this entire time, making him several centuries old."

"You said K'un L'un isn't on Earth. It's in some other dimension or something. How does that guy come and go like that?"

"Apparently, he knows a great deal of magic and can find pathways between worlds. If the story's true, the more lives he takes, the more powerful he becomes. I guess that's what's keeping him alive."

"And the White Tiger Amulet?"

"I assume he needs the mystical properties of the amulet. For what purpose, I have no idea."

"What I don't get is this: he seems to be drawn to these talismans. He can track them down and just magic his way into whatever room it's in. I keep expecting him to show up at any time. If he's been around for so long and the talismans have been around so long, he could have taken them whenever he wanted. Hell, he can take them right now! Why the wait?"

"I'm wondering the same thing."

The next morning, repairmen fix Ava's door as she speaks to Danny and Cage in her apartment. Two of the talismans rest in the jade box as she paces angrily in front of them.

"So you got the two talismans back but lost the other one?," Ava asks, "Good thing I'm not paying by the hour."

"We're very sorry, Ava," Danny apologizes, "But we have learned a lot about Kahn's past, so we're on the right track."

"We think it's best to keep the remaining talsimans with us for the time being," Cage adds.

"Oh, so he can keep stealing them from you?"

"Yo, if you want, we can drop this case and leave you to take care of things yourself!"

"Luke, please...," Danny begins.

"No, she's been riding us this entire time and we're the ones sticking our necks out for these things."

Ava stops for a moment, "Yeah, you're right. I have been a bit hard on you guys. Y'know, with my brother dying and one of my family friends getting attacked, it's been hard. I'm still dealing with all this right now."

"We understand," Danny tells her.

"Like I said, we all deal with things differently," she reminds him, "You guys work well together. I'm sure you'll find this guy."

Cage closes the jade box and tucks it under his arm, "We're gonna take these for the time being. At the very least, you won't have to worry about people kicking in your door anymore."

"Thanks guys," she tells them, "Seriously, for everything."

"Not a problem," Danny tells her, "We'll get the talisman back. We promise."

"The sooner we get this guy, the better," Cage tells her as they leave.

Outside in the hallway, Danny and Cage stop to talk.

"Thanks for your help, Luke," Danny tells him, "You've been a big help."

"Like I said, the sooner we get the talisman, the better."

"So what happens after he take Kahn out?"

"I didn't say I was gonna take Kahn out. I said I was gonna get the talisman."

"Don't play games, Luke. You know what I mean. What happens after this is over? What will you do then?"

"That's none of your concern."

"It is my concern because I don't want to see you throw your life away. Hunting down the Maggia will not bring you any closer to peace."

"You don't have to worry about my life."

"I know I don't have to. I do anyway."

"You're so worried about me, what about Jessica? Do you care about what happened to her at all?"

"Of course, I do."

"So you want the people responsible brought to justice."

"The man responsible** was** brought to justice. You said it yourself; Killgrave hurt her and now he's dead. It's over. You don't have to do this to yourself."

"You're worng about that," with that, Cage leaves Danny in the hallway.


	12. Chapter 12

Danny drives back to his home when his phone rings. He answers, "Daniel Rand."

"Hello, Mr Rand. It's Dave from the PR Department."

"How are you, Dave?"

"Great. So the Board just saw the numbers. We're down a few points."

"I'm the CEO, remember? I'm aware of this."

As you know, we feel this might be due to bad publicity from Heroes For Hire. The media has already reminded the public more than once that Heroes For Hire is owned by Rand Corps."

"Well, we're on a case at the moment, so that should put us back in their good graces."

"We heard about that. There was something about Luke Cage getting in a fight and a gym exploding?"

"It wasn't a gym, it was a dojo."

"So a dojo exploded?"

"It didn't explode... Just parts of it."

"I assume the company is insured."

"Yeah, I've taken care of everything."

"That sounds great, Danny. Let's make sure you guys look good out there because if you look good, we look good."

Danny hangs up in frustration.

Later that day, Ava comes back to her apartment building with a bag full of groceries. She goes up the stairs and down her hallway where a shadow slowly emerges behind her. She nears her newly repaired apartment door and her pace slows down as she glances to the side and sees the shadow creeping along the wall. She slows down more, as does the figure behind her and once she stops at her apartment, she drops the bags and spins around, taking a fighting stance. A young African American man with a goatee raises his hands defensively, "Whoa. Wow, sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya."

Ava sighs and lowers her fists, "No, I'm sorry. I thought... Sorry, I guess you just startled me."

"No problem," he extends a hand, "I'm Tyrone King. Uh, do you live here? I'm looking for an Ava Ayala?"

"I'm Ava. What can I do for you?"

"I'm an art collector. I knew your brother Hector."

"Hector? Really?"

"Yeah, I took one of his courses a few years back. Sorry to hear about his passing."

"Thanks. Uh,... So what brings you here, Tyrone?"

"A while back, he told me about some old talismans he had. Three of them. Apparently, they were of unknown origin but he thought they might be from China. He said they pieced together to form an amulet in the shape of a white tiger. I understand he left them with you?"

"So uh... What did Hector tell you about them?"

"That was it. He was planning to sell them to me before he passed. I understand if this is a bad time or -"

"No, no. It's fine," Ava furrows her brow curiously, "So Hector was planning to sell these things to you?"

"Yeah, that's what he said. I can show you the old emails he sent me if you like."

"That's okay. So, did he show them to you?"

"No, I was hoping you might have them. I'll give you a fair price, honestly."

"I think I know what you're talking about," she seems to think for a moment, "I think there was something like that in a box of stuff I gave to some friends. I can call them later and have them bring `em to you. Y'know, just to let you get a good look at them. We can discuss prices and everything later if you like what you see."

"That sounds great," he reaches into his pocket, "Let me give you my business card. It has the address to my gallery. Mind if your friends bring it there tomorrow?"

"Sure," she takes his business card.

"Okay, uh,... It was nice meeting you, Ava. I hope to see you again."

"Sure. I'll have my friends bring the talismans by tomorrow morning. Say around 10 o' clock?"

"I'll make an appointment. Take care," Tyrone waves and smiles as he leaves.

Ava is left in front of her apartment, contemplating the situation. At the office of Heroes For Hire, Cage sits quietly at his desk and stares at his Maggia notes. His concentration is broken, however, when the phone rings. He looks at the phone, reluctant to answer it as it rings a second time. He grimaces a bit and finally picks up on the second ring, "Yeah?". He hears Ava on the other end, "It's Ava. I think I found Master Kahn." Later, the three of them are in the office. "So do you believe your brother would agree to sell the talismans?," Dannys asks.

"No way," Ava shakes her head, "He promised to keep them and that's what he did. I never heard of this guy before. There's no reason why he would know about these things. I thought I should at least be cautious about this."

"Kahn is powerful enough, I wouldn't be surprised if he could change appearances," Danny explains.

"But this goes back to what I said earlier," Cage adds, "He can show up at any time and seems to know where they are, usually. Why would he bother disguising himself?"

"It draws less attention?"

"He didn't worry about that when he shot me through a wall."

"Maybe he decided to change his strategy," Ava adds.

"And this is probably a trap. We sure we wanna go in there?"

"Do we have a choice?," Danny asks.

Tyrone King's art warehouse is a two story building in Manhatten. Danny pulls his car up to it and he gets out followed by Cage who has the jade box in his hand. Inside, the gallery is filled with various sculptures, vases, and other artwork from different cultures and periods. "Nice place," Cage says as he admires the surroundings. Tyrone King approaches from across the gallery, "You must be Ava's friends," he smiles and extends a hand. Danny glances at Cage before shaking, "Pleasure to meet you." Tyrone motions toward the backroom, "I do most of my negotiating downstairs in my private collection. Care to join me?" They carefully follow him into a back storage room where they see an elevator. Tyrone presses a button, "So what do you guys do?". "We're students," Danny tells him. Tyrone nods and waits for the elevator to open before allowing them to enter. The three men go inside and the elevator doors close. The basement is dimly lit with several crates and more artwork; some covered and some not. He walks into the room and stops in the center.

"I take it, the talismans are with you?," he asks as he motions toward the jade box in Cage's hand.

"Maybe, but y'know, before we start negotiating, I have to wonder about something," Cage begins, "I'm a well-known bounty hunter who's had some bad press lately and my friend here is the CEO of Rand Corps."

"How is it, you don't recognize us?," Danny asks.

"Heroes For Hire? Ever hear of it?," Cage asks.

"I guess I don't get out much," Tyrone says with a shrug.

"Really? You look well-traveled," Danny continues, "Ever been as far as K'un L'un?"

Tyrone smiles, but it is a different smile than he had previously "I knew this charade wouldn't last long."

His form shifts. His suit soon turns into a black cloak and his face grows pale as his hair and beard grow out. Danny and Cage take a step back to get ready as Kahn appears before them. The lights in the basement grow even dimmer as Kahn sinks into the darkness and disappears completely.

"Here we go," Cage raises his fists in preparation.


	13. Chapter 13

**Cage and Danny sit sideways in their crashed car. "You okay?," Cage asks. "Yeah," Danny responds. Outside the car, Kahn waits patiently for them. The passenger door flips open and Cage crawls out and drops on the pavement, facing Kahn, "Some people don't know when to quit." Inside the car, Danny looks through the cracked windshield and notices a few pedestrians gathering on the other side of the parking lot, so he quickly reaches into the glovebox where he grabs a spare mask that looks identical to his normal mask. Cage rushes Kahn, only for Kahn to motion toward a parked van which shoots out from its parking space and slams into Cage, knocking him over. He begins to get up, but the car on the opposite side also comes out, knocking him back down once it strikes his shoulder. Danny emerges from the wreckage, now in his mask and street clothes, and addresses the bystanders, "You people gotta get out of here! Now!" They turn and run away without argument. Cage is pinned between the two vehicles in the center of the lot, trying his best to push the cars away from him but Kahn continues to crush him. Another car pops out of its space, fishtails, and slams into Cage, pinning him in even more. A fourth car pulls out and shoves its rear right bumper into Cage's back and fully boxes him in. Danny ignites the Iron Fist, leaps off the hood of a car, and flies toward Kahn who shoots a blast into Danny's fist, causing a small explosion that sends him spiraling into a nearby column. Meanwhile, Cage finally pulls free of the cars and slams his shoulder into Kahn sending him sliding across the pavement. "Finally got to ya," Cage tells him as he strolls toward him.**

**Kahn reels on the floor, struggling to stay conscious as Cage approaches. He signals with his fingers and the talisman flies out of Cage's jacket and itno the palm of his hand. With the talisman in his grasp, he stumbles to his feet and runs toward the awning. "Nope," Cage simply says as he runs after him. Kahn steps on the barrier, leaps out of the garage, and falls toward the street below. He doesn't get far before he unfurls the folds of his cape and makes it elongate and catch the sudden updraft in the wind, which lifts him up and allows him to glide toward the rooftops. Inside, Cage watches and he is soon joined by Danny.**

**"Don't tell me he has the talisman."**

**"Okay..."**

**"I'll try to cut him off. You got the rooftops?"**

**"Yeah."**

**Kahn drifts over a roof and drops once his cloak returns to its normal length. He falls to his hands and knees as he tries to regain his energy. Meanwhile, Cage takes several steps back and makes a run for the awning where he leaps out of the garage and clears the street where he smashes through an office window, takes a few hops, and stops. The officer workers stare at him silently. "How do I get to the roof?," he asks nonchalantly. A worker silently points him in the right direction, so he thanks him before dashing off.**

**Danny drops between the garage ramps and lands on the ground floor. From there, he dashes out itno the street where he dips around a car that blares it horn at him. Another car slams on its brakes, stoping just in fornt of him but he doesn't break his stride, instead, deciding to roll over the hood. "Sorry," he calls out to the infuriated drivers as he makes it to the other side of the street.**

**Kahn stands up and shoves the talisman in his cloak. Just then, Cage exits the rooftop door, only for Kahn to angrily turn and fire a blast that sends him bouncing off the ledge and nearly drops him into the street below but Cage quickly reaches out and catches himself with one hand and dangles over the edge. "You're trying my patience," Kahn sneers before turning and racing across the roof where he drops once more, briefly allowing his cloak to catch him midfall so he lands softly on the roof below. Just then, Danny climbs over the fire escape and ste4ps otno the roof to face him. Above, Cage jumps down to their level. Kahn motions toward him and telekinetically redirects his descent. As Danny approaches, Cage falls from above and lands on top of him. Kahn turns and faces another rooftop on the same level. Before he can attempt the jump, Danny tackles him from behind, sending him across the way where they land on the next roof. With Kahn stunned, Danny reaches into his claok and pulls out the talisman before throwing it to Cage, "Luke!". Kahn snarls and raises his hand, blasting Cage in the chest just when he catches it. The force of the blast sends Cage off the side of the roof and makes him drops the talisman. Danny quickly gets up and makes a leap for it.**

**As Cage falls below, Danny soars overhead and reaches for the talisman. He manages to extend his middle finger enough to place is in the chain, then curl it and pull it itno his grasp. Once it is in his hand, Danny allows the momentum to carry him as he trucks into a ball. He soon crashes through an office window where he rolls along the carpet and flops otno his back. He checks to make sure the talsiman in still in his hand, then lays still as he catches his breath.**

**Down below, Cage rolls off the top of a flattened car, groggy and winded. He slumps on the ground and rests his head against the door before closing his eyes. "There's Luke Cage!," he hears someone shout. He raises up to see two police officers racing toward him, guns drawn. He turns his attention to the roofs above and sees Kahn shrinking back and disappearing.**

**"All right Cage, no sudden movements," one of the cops says as he trains his gun on him.**

**"Hey, you boys are just in time. Good job," Cage rubs the back of his neck painfully.**

**"Just stay on the ground," the seocnd police officer shotus.**

**"What? Relax, I'm on a case here."**

**"We don't know that," the cop says, "We keep hearing reports of you going vigilante."**

**"Yeah, well, unless you got a warrant for my arrest, there's not much you can do right now."**

**"Don't make us -"**

**"Do what?," Cage shouts, "What exactly do you think you're gonna do? What can you do?"**

**The cops jump back and point their guns at his head, "Hey, take it easy."**

**"I"m walking away right now. There's nothing else you can do."**

**"That's it," one of the cops shouts, "Luke Cage, you are under arrest."**

**Cage steps forward and clenches his fists, making the cops even more nervous, "If you think you can arrest me... do it."**


End file.
